The housing crisis in the UK continues to deepen, with local MP Wera Hobhouse sounding the alarm over the state of affordable homes in Bath. The Liberal Democrat MP has called for urgent reform and increased funding to support housing associations, as they grapple with stretched budgets.
During Business Questions, Hobhouse emphasized the dire situation, pointing out that housing providers, such as Curo, are facing significant financial strain. Despite being responsible for maintaining existing homes and constructing new ones, these organizations are finding it increasingly difficult due to limited resources.
Curo, operating in Bath and surrounding areas, has flagged the challenges of managing a fixed income stream that is expected to cover maintenance, fire safety upgrades, decarbonization measures, and the creation of new affordable housing. Hobhouse stressed the need to shield tenants from rising costs while enabling providers to continue building homes.
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The MP has urged the government to consider changes to the funding formulas for social rents, emphasizing the mounting strain faced by housing providers.
In response, Leader of the House Lucy Powell expressed the government’s commitment to building new affordable homes and protecting tenants. However, she did not directly address the specific issues raised by Curo and Hobhouse.
Hobhouse reiterated the urgency of the situation, highlighting the necessity of enabling housing providers to simultaneously support tenants and address the housing crisis by reviewing current funding streams.
Curo’s chief executive, Victor da Cunha, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the critical importance of getting affordable housing funding right to meet the government’s house-building targets while ensuring residents' homes are safe, warm, and comfortable.